Ch.183Demon Awakened from the Seal (2)

# 183. The Demon Awakened from the Seal (2)

The Magic Master’s left hand was black, withered, and twisted.

Anyone could see this wasn’t caused by ordinary means, especially considering he had returned from reconnaissance just tens of minutes ago…

“I’ll get straight to the point. The reconnaissance team couldn’t enter the sealed area. This hand is a ‘minor’ injury sustained during that process.”

“Minor… injury?”

“It was contact with something like a barrier that slowly but steadily expands its territory—contact that lasted less than a second. I wasn’t being careless. I had applied every defensive spell possible. If I’d been a little slower, it would have been my arm instead of my hand, and any slower than that, my entire upper body would have ended up like this.”

“Magic Master, perhaps you should receive healing immediately—”

“This isn’t something easily healed. Let me continue. The reconnaissance team couldn’t enter the sealed area, and after the accident, we risked attempting an attack. However, it was futile.”

“Hmm.”

“If it had been a matter of the barrier being too solid to penetrate, I would have pushed harder. But I realized after the second attack that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t a barrier at all. I called it something like a barrier only because I couldn’t think of a better term.”

“Then what was it?”

The Magic Master unconsciously tried to stroke his beard, then winced as he remembered the state of his hand.

“A concept.”

“A concept?”

“Perhaps I should say it’s a space with an entirely different concept. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t observe it for long, but what’s certain is that no matter what we did, we couldn’t destroy or see through that barrier-like thing.”

“That means…”

“Unless it’s a legendary archmage or someone like the first saint who strikes it. At least no one currently in this fortress could possibly—”

The Magic Master’s assertion caused the previously quiet tent to erupt with murmurs from the leadership.

“The Magic Master’s hand is certainly unfortunate. But that’s not all, is it?”

“T-that’s right. The demon. Isn’t the demon what’s important?”

“Exactly. Wasn’t this reconnaissance meant to verify the adventurer party’s report?”

At someone’s words, the Magic Master’s expression alternated between frowning and relaxing. Though I’m no expert in human observation, that expression seemed like one made when reluctantly admitting something you’d rather not acknowledge—and my guess wasn’t wrong.

“We failed to determine what the barrier-like thing is and what’s inside it, but we confirmed that massive amounts of evil and impure magical energy flow around it, with the density decreasing as the distance increases.”

“Then!”

“It seems we’ll soon face a battle that will determine the fortress’s survival.”

A battle for the fortress’s survival.

It was essentially an acknowledgment of our party’s report. The commotion briefly gave way to silence, then grew into an even greater uproar.

Some said they should send for reinforcements immediately, others prayed in the goddess’s name, and some were ready to leave their seats, saying there was no time to waste.

“Silence!”

The Vice Commander slammed the table. Though I felt like his wrinkles had increased in this short time, he forcibly calmed the heated atmosphere and asked the Magic Master again.

“Let me first ask the Magic Master who just returned: what do you think is the right way for us to prepare? No, before that, how much time do we have left?”

“How? There is no ‘how.’ We must obviously prepare everything possible by any means necessary. As for the grace period… based on when we scouted, it could be as soon as one week, or at most two weeks.”

“…So what we need to discuss is who takes which role, is that it?”

“Yes. And it would be best to estimate the grace period conservatively.”

The Vice Commander nodded and then met my eyes in the corner. Having nothing to add, I silently nodded.

After that, the Vice Commander began issuing orders rapidly.

**

After the reconnaissance team’s return, Paelm Fortress changed. The main reason was that the “cause” of the anomalies had been revealed.

A demon.

There wasn’t a single person—knight, priest, mage, ranger, or common soldier—who didn’t fear that word. Regardless of skill or courage, in this world, demons were that kind of existence.

Moreover, it wasn’t just talk—with each passing day, the area where the holy barrier was being corroded expanded, monster attacks increased in frequency, and the unpleasant vibrations grew stronger. Fear spread like black ink on white paper.

Though they sent for support from various countries, reinforced the fortress, maintained weapons and armor, and conducted mental training daily, everyone instinctively felt it.

That most of them would die anyway.

It wasn’t something that could be dispelled with a few words. Just as no amount of fanning can clear away fog.

They could only endure.

Because there was nowhere to run.

**

Yes. That’s it.

I was…

Sealed away long ago.

I am…

A demon.

I was a demon.

The demon humans feared.

They knelt with trembling legs at my footsteps.

They covered their ears and gnashed their teeth at my words.

They closed their eyes and curled up at my gestures.

A demon they couldn’t kill, so they could only seal away.

But.

My name.

Why can’t I remember my name still?

Why? For what reason?

I’ve been thinking about it since I awoke, but I simply cannot remember my name.

The more I couldn’t remember, the more I wanted to know, so I kept thinking.

Even when I reached a place where I could see humans gathered in the distance, I still couldn’t remember.

That fact…

Made me angry, irritated, and sad.

What’s clear is…

That I am incomplete.

And that if I go to those humans in the distance, I might get closer to completeness.

So even now, I’m taking one step after another.

For my completeness.

To return to my original self.

**

Eight days after the Magic Master’s reconnaissance team returned.

Kuuung–!

Once again, I woke up to that unbearably unpleasant vibration.

That damn vibration.

Because of it, I hadn’t felt rested even when sleeping, so I tried to close my eyes again, but…

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—!!!

“Emergency!!! Emergencyyy!!!”

“Enemy attack! Enemy attaaack!!!”

“Wake up! Wake up! Prepare for battlllle!!!”

As if refusing to allow it, I bolted upright at the sudden noise. Looking around, I saw my party members groggily getting up and reflexively changing clothes.

Seeing them, I quickly changed too. It took very little time for the entire party to arm themselves.

“Everyone.”

My party members focused on me at my gesture.

“The time has come. We’ve reviewed the plan countless times, so there’s no need to go over it again now.”

My party members nodded, the fatigue completely gone from their faces.

The preparations were already complete. No need for unnecessary words.

“Let’s go. It’s time to head upstairs.”

“Let’s go!”

Despite the enormous crisis approaching, our departure from the tent was as light as if we were setting off on a journey.

“…”

“…”

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Is this… right?”

At least until we saw the monsters covering the ground outside the fortress so densely that the earth wasn’t visible.

“This is way too many.”

“And we can’t even see the demon yet. That means what we’re seeing isn’t even all of it.”

“Holy shit, how are we supposed to…”

This world is definitely game-based. The story flow is very similar, and there are systems, quests, levels, skills, and stats.

Was my assumption wrong that waking up earlier would weaken the Sealed Demon’s forces?

No. That possibility is low. Extremely low. The general theory was that the game’s Sealed Demon also woke up early for some reason and that’s why it was at that level.

‘There are many monsters. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the difficulty has become more insane.’

The vast majority of those monsters are likely just mobs. And most of them will die without even being able to climb the fortress’s high, thick walls.

“Nothing to be afraid of. This isn’t far from what we expected. We just need to stick to the plan.”

“…That’s true.”

Ultimately, what’s important for us is to take down the boss as quickly as possible, and originally most monsters besides the boss were the fortress’s responsibility anyway.

“Let’s not get impatient.”

As we decided among ourselves, and according to the plan we made with the Vice Commander and the fortress leadership.

[The demon awakened from the seal is approaching.]

[Defeat the demon awakened from the seal.]

I dismiss the message that appeared after a long time.

And in the distance.

Kuung- Kuung- Kuuung-

As the presence of the source of the vibrations that shook the surroundings became clearer with each small step closer to the fortress.

—————!!!

“Fire—!!!”

The wave of monsters crashed against the fortress.